In Formula 1, things can change in the blink of an eye. Lewis Hamilton went from almost winning his eighth championship to losing out to Max Verstappen in 2021. If not for Ferrari’s last-minute strategy call, Charles Leclerc could’ve won the 2022 Monaco GP. This season, after spending three-quarters of the first half of the season barely escaping the midfield, Lando Norris and McLaren have leapfrogged to almost the front. So much so that they’re genuinely in the mix for P2 in the championship. If that’s not a testament to how quickly things turn around in F1, what is?

Since the Woking squad introduced its major upgrade overhaul in Austria, Norris and Oscar Piastri have made the most of their new and improved MCL60. After securing consecutive podium finishes at the British and Hungarian GP, Norris has undoubtedly established superiority over most of his rivals. Despite this newfound performance, though, there’s still one driver who hasn’t fallen prey to McLaren’s turnaround.

Can Lando Norris & Co. catch up to Max Verstappen?

It’s no secret Norris and Verstappen are best friends off the track. As friendly as they might be outside their cars, though, they’re both fierce competitors once they’re inside their cockpits. Well, at least McLaren is working toward making them competitors. As Norris has proved superior to a large chuck on the field over the past few race weekends, Verstappen and Red Bull have done that in every race. 

With a target on their backs, every other team is trying to catch up. While Norris got close a couple of times, even McLaren CEO Zak Brown accepted Verstappen’s superiority. In a recent interview, Brown said, “Red Bull are an incredible team. We try to get close to Max [Verstappen], but every time you think you’re close, he pulls away.” It happened in Silverstone, it happened in Hungary, and it happened in Belgium. Verstappen can just get into a different gear whenever he has to and leave the pack behind.

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No team has found a solution to closing the gap to Verstappen yet. It’s difficult to imagine McLaren (or anyone else) catching up to him this season, which is why the Woking squad’s realistic aim is to finish P2 in the championship. One of Norris’ rivals believes McLaren can do it.

George Russell acknowledged Lando Norris and McLaren’s turnaround

Off the back of two consecutive podiums, Norris looked to continue his streak at the Belgian GP. With the new MCL60, that seemed like a real possibility, and Mercedes driver George Russell expressed how he felt McLaren could challenge Mercedes by the end of the season. He said, “It’s absolutely clear they are true contenders for the second-fastest team. McLaren have just totally thrown it in the mix. But it gives you optimism that there is potential to make bigger steps.” 

From where Mercedes started the season, the Brackley outfit has also made significant steps. Considering Mercedes is P2 in the championship after starting the year as probably the fourth-fastest car on the grid, the improvements are evident. But Russell believes McLaren’s turnaround has overshadowed the W14’s progress. He said, “If it wasn’t for McLaren, we’d be very, very satisfied with the progress we’re making—moving ahead of the midfield, pulling a gap on our rivals, closing on Red Bull.”

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Is P2 a genuine possibility for Lando Norris and McLaren this season?